Here’s a straightforward guide on how to use the submodalities checklist in practice:
Identify the Experience: Begin by choosing an experience or thought pattern you want to work on, such as a fear, a memory, or a goal.
Elicit Submodalities: Ask your client to describe this experience in detail. Use the submodalities checklist to gather information about each sensory representation involved:
Visual: Color or black-and-white, brightness, size, distance, framed or panoramic, etc.
Auditory: Volume, pitch, tempo, direction, distance, tonality, etc.
Kinesthetic: Location of feeling, intensity, temperature, texture, movement, etc.
Map and Contrast: Compare the submodalities of a negative experience with those of a positive one. This helps identify which submodalities are influencing the emotional response most strongly.
Change Submodalities: Experiment by changing one submodality at a time. For instance, if a distressing memory is very vivid and close, mentally adjust it to be dimmer and further away. Assess how these changes affect the emotional intensity of the experience.
Test and Refine: After making adjustments, check with your client how the changes influence their feelings or behaviours. Continue refining until the desired emotional state is achieved.
Anchor New Experience: Once a more positive set of submodalities is established, use NLP anchoring techniques to solidify this new perception. This might involve creating a physical or mental “anchor” (like a gesture or a word) that helps the client recall this new perspective in future.
Apply Practically: Encourage your client to use this altered perception in real-life situations where the negative experience might have previously been a hindrance.
